Rectilinear-motion ball-bearing unit



March 27, 3951 i T, F. scHLlcKsUPP 295%375 RECTILINEAR-MOTION BALL BEARING UNIT Filed Jan. 4, 1947 ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES RATE N Tl O FF l CE1` Theodore Schlicksupp, Long Islandv City, N.k Y. Application-January 4, 1947, seramo; vzogzorf (Casos-4s) 3V'Claims. 1f

Thisl invention relates to rectilinearemotion ball bearings fand has forits principal object to provide an improved: antifriction`V ball.A bearing unit adapted for use between surfacesthatare relatively slidable, as for instancefa pair of gen,- erally flat surfaces at least one off'fwhichis movable iin Aits own plane vrelativeto the -other sur# facer:vv

Several-formsfof` the vimproved 'bearing unit', all embodying the inventiongare illustrated-Sin the accompanying-drawing;.in which zl Figure 1 is aplan .view-.of' one vform Lof lthe bearing "unit asfiseen from the side containing ftheballi'racebr y Figs-345 illustrate' a modied'forinfof the bearing unit, 'Figi'3` being 'a' plan 'viewtliereof kas 'seen from 'the `side containing vthebsill frace,` Fig;V 4l 'a side elevation, and Fig. 5 a vertical transverse seetionJtaken-'on the line 5'5 of Fig. '3;

Figs.16 and7 are partial vertical sections fsliowing the improved bearingunitm'ounted between two relatively slidable objects,v theseviews being 'illiistrative of the various lusesto which the bearing unit can'be put and furtherl showing how the bearing unit' may rbemounte'd. to obtain the desired-circulation `or vprogression` of.r the Lanti'friction balls; t

Fig. 8 is a partial vertical'sectionr showing the improved bearing unit mountedbetween two 'relatively slidable objects and illustratinga modified wayof obtaining the desired'circulation or progression of theantifriction balls; and# Fig. 9 is a partial vertical .section showing "a further modified form of the bearing unit mount- .edfl between- `two relatively*sl'idablefobjectsf-- Referring 'nrst 'to 'Figs.'- l andf'zltne 'bearing unit vshotvntherein 'comprises :'ara'ce 'member ly .in the: form of a circular cup' 'orbutton made of any" suitable wear-resistant material and having infone of its faces acircularrecess I2 constituting a-Sballgfpocltet." The V'olmositelfacei 3 fof rthe race member l is preferably'v substantiallyfatf as showniniFig. 2 Ashoulder bolt'or'screwf/il passes centrally through the fracefmember" I. Ithas a threadedr sternv portion-5 and a `larger unthreaded head-.portion `6. The headportion ofl the bolt "is 'substantially r'cylindrical fin shape assho'wn in-y Fi`g.- 2"4 and@ cylindrical wall forms* withY- the opposing-v cylindrical walll of vthe rrecessk 2 A'an annularball"`race-whichis Vcornple'telyllledwith afnumberof Aantifric'tion balls #1. Thefhead portion 6*'of Ithe'bolt is provided-with a lflange 8 l-whi'ch f partly "overl-lest the anti'fricti'on ballsv 1. Th-usthe bolt '4serves notionlyas: means for:l attaching vfthe .bearing 'unit nto one Lof the-'obijectsbetween which it isto .be=used, but also as the `means for retaining the antifrictionballs'in the ball race vwhenthe bearing unit isvfastened to the object by the'ibolt.

If Jthebearingunit is attachedl by. means'fof the bolt 4to one oftwo objects andfthesurface ofthe other'obj'ect', represented by therliner i9 in 'F1-lg.. 2,."is "relatively inclined witnrespect to fthe plane 2in which the centerszof the antifriction balls lie, as depicted in Fig-i2, itwillbe seen'ithat onlyfa .minor number Iof the Lantifri'ction'balls iat one 4iside ofithe ball circuit :will .mak-e Vcontact with the surface 9. These are the loadballsr'a-nd 'allfoftheother ballsiare free/*to move for circulate in the iball race by ireasonof the'factthat they' are fout .of contact with; the surfaces. Thusif the'bearingfunit Aand the surface '9 .areffrelatively inclined in the manner shown Tin Figi-2"v afewf'o'f thefantitrictionlballs at the left si'de-ofthezball circuit (in Fig. 1) `will constitute the Jload'b'alls, and whenthere is relative rectilinear movement between the Aobject to which the bearing unitis -attached andthe object having the surface i9 in either of .the directions indicated by the arrows inv Fig.v 1,the load balls will be rolledalong iin contact .with the bottornof therecess 2 andin contactwith the surface 9.

The :direction in whichtheload ballsroll` will dependof course upon the 'direction of the `rectilinear relative motion'lbetween the two objects. -The lrollingof the load balls 'will push theother free-to-cir'culate balls ahead of them and will thus cause the entire series offfballs-@to progress inXa circular path,the 'load balls moving inone dire'ctionkal'ong the load `side-of thel ball circuit andreturning in the opposite direction along :the other side of the ball circuit. If one object moves yrelative to the other in the directionY of the vupper arrow'shown in Fig. l the progression of the balls will, of course, bel in aiclockwise directionfin Fig. l) ,7 and v'if the ymovement of'oneobj'ectfrelati'vetothe 'other is in the direction of tlielwer arrow the progression vof the'balls will be 'ina counterclockwisef'direction.

Figs. `35 show a modified form vofy bearing-'unit which `-is vsimilar in construction 'and operation tol the'circular bearing unit above' described but it is elongated in one' direction. In thi'scase the race member E' hasfthe'shape'ofanfellipse withlflattened sides-and -is provided witn'awecess 2 of"cOr-reSDOndingshape 'formingftheball' pocket.

`A--center member l havinga side wall'whichf is secured in place by means of several shoulder bolts or screws lll when these bolts are screwed into the object to which the bearing unit is fastened. The center member 4' forms with the recess 2 an endless channel or ball race which is completely filled with antifriction balls 1. The center member has a flange 8' corresponding to the ange 8 on the bolt in Figs. 1 and 2, which partially ovcrlies the antifriction balls and retains them in the ball race when the bearing unit is attached to an object by means of the bolts. If the bearing unit is attached to one of two objects, and the surface of the other object, represented by the line 9 in Fig. 5, is relatively inclined with respect to the plane in which the centers of the antifriction balls lie, as depicted in Fig.

5, the balls in the lefthand longitudinal run of the endless ball race (in Figs. 3 and 5) will make contact with the surface 9. Thus the balls in this run will be the load balls and the balls in the 'other longitudinal runof the ball race will be -fr'eefto move or circulate by reason of the fact that they are out of contact with the surface 9. rThus relative rectilinear movement between the V'object to which the bearing unit is attached and the object having the surface 9 in either` of the directions vindicated by the arrows in Fig. 3rwill cause the load balls to be rolled along in contact with the bottom of the recess 2 and in contact with the surface 9, thus causing progression of the entire series of balls. The load balls will roll in one direction in the lefthand run of the ball race (in Figs. 3 and 5) and will return inithe opposite direction in the righthand run of the ball race.,`

Figs; 6 and 7 are'illustrative of 'the various uses to which the bearing unit can beV put.' In Fig. 6 the bearing unit is shown attached to the under side of an upper object Il which is rectilinear-ly movable relative to a lower object I2 in afdirection toward and away from the reader. The bearing unit is attached to the upper object I l by means of the attachment bolt or bolts so that the plane in which the centers of the antifriction vballs lie is at a slight angle to the upper surface I3 of the lower object l2. `The bearing unit shown in this figure may be either the bearing unit illustrated in Figs. l and 2 or the bearing unit illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5. In either case vthe slight tilt given to the bearing unit will estabr lish theV same angular relationship between the plane'of the ball centers and the surface on which the balls roll as that shown in Figs. 2 and 5, Vand therefore the bearing will operate as pre- -viously described.

Fig; 7 shows how a bearing unit of the kind shown in Figs. l and 2 or a bearing'unit of the .kind shown'in Figs. 3-5 can be'used to mount a lathefcarriage I4 on the carriage guides of .the lathe, one of such guides being shown at t5. The bearing units may be mounted so that the balls have rolling contact with thesloping,

side walls of the'guides as shown, the units being .attached to the lathe carriage by the fastening .bolts so that the plane of the ball centers makes a slight angle to the corresponding sloping face of the guide .in order to cause the balls at one side of the ball circuit in each bearing to bathe that a numberl of the bearing units may be arranged in a row extending ,in the direction in whichthe rectilinear relative movement between the objects takes place, all of the bearing units being similarly inclined, or some being inclined in one direction and some in the opposite direction so that the load balls of all of the bearing units in one row will not then lie on the same side of the center line of the row of bearing units but some will lie on one side and some cn the other to thereby give a better load distribution.

Fig.'8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6 but illustrates how the bearing unit may be attached to one of the objects Il in a true fashion instead of giving it a tilt as in Fig. 6, when the surface of the other object I2 is inclined or can be givenv an inclination, as shown at IB. This is the condition depicted in Figs. 2 and 5, and thus the action of the-balls -will be the same as described in connection with those iigures.

Fig. 9 shows a type of bearing unit in which the desired angular relationship between the plane of the ball centers and the surface of the object on which the balls roll is brought about, not by giving a tilt to the bearing unit when it is fastened to one of the objects or by inclining the surface of the -other object on which the balls roll, but vby giving an inclination to the bottom ll'- ofthe recess I8 forming the ball pocket as shown in this figure. The bearing unit may be of the circular type shown in Figs. l and 2 or the elongated type shown in Figs; 3-5. VWhen a bearing unit of the kind shown in-Fig. 9 is used the surface of one object againstwhich the bearing unit is fastened may be parallel to the surface ofthe other object on which the balls roll. j

It will be understood that in allV forms of the bearing unit the` diameter ofthe lantifriction balls is so related to the depth of the ball pocket that the load-carrying balls will project out of the ball race far enough to make rolling contact with the surface of the object on which the load-balls roll. 'Y The face of the race member oppositethe face that is recessed is preferably fiat, as above stated, so that it can seat against a flat surface on one ofthe two objects between Vwhich the bearing-is to be used, and the vertical dimension of the bearing unit, i. e., the distance from such flat surface to the topsv of the antifriction balls, is preferably made as small as possible so that the bearing unit can be used between surfaces' that are fairly close together.

i The bearing unit is simplel in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, vand may be handled as a unit in positioning one or more of themv between the two objects in connection with which it is desired to use the bearing.

I claim: 1

1. A'ball bearing unitv adapted for use between the surfaces of two objectsthat are 'relatively slidable comprising a body portion having afrecess in one of its faces forming a ball pocket,`said recess extending only partially vinto said body portion so that balls may roll on tlieb'ottom wall of the recess, a center member separate froiirs'aid bodyeportion andpositio'ned centrally within said recess and Whose peripheral wall forms 'with the side and bottom walls 'of the recess an endless at the same time clamp the unrecessed face of the body portion against such object, the balls then being retained in said channel by said radially extending flange on the center member which partly overlies them, and the balls being of such size as to project out of at least one portion of said channel when the bearing unit is thus attached to one of the objects so that they can make rolling contact with the surface of the other object.

2. A ball bearing unit adapted for use between the surfaces of two objects that are relatively slidable comprising a circular race member having a recess in one of its faces forming a ball pocket, said recess extending only partially into said race member so that balls may roll on the bottom wall of the recess, a bolt passing centrally through said race member and having a cylindrical head portion the side wall of which forms with the side and bottom walls of said recess an endless ball channel, antifriction balls completely filling said channel, the head portion of the bolt having a radially extending flange adapted to partly overlie the antifriction balls, the bolt having a threaded stem portion passing through the race member and adapted when screwed into one of the two objects between which the bearing unit is to be positioned to clamp the head of the bolt against the bottom of the recess in the race member and at the same time clamp the unrecessed face of the race member against such object, the balls then being retained in said channel by said radially extending flange on the head of the bolt which partly overlies them, and the balls being of such size as to project out of at least a portion of said channel when the bearing unit is thus attached to one of the objects so that they can make rolling contact with the surface of the other object.

3. A ball bearing unit adapted for use between the surfaces of two objects that are relatively slidable comprising an elongated body portion having an elongated recess in one of its faces forming a ball pocket, said recess extending only partially into said body portion so that balls may roll on the bottom wall of the recess, an elongated center member separate from said body portion and positioned centrally within said recess and whose peripheral wall forms with the side and bottom walls of the recess an endless ball channel shaped like an ellipse with flattened sides, antifriction balls completely lling said channel, said center member having a radially extending flange adapted to partly overlie the balls in said channel, and a series of bolts passing through said center member adapted to be screwed into one of the two objects between which the bearing unit is to be positioned to clamp said center member in position against the bottom of the recess in the body portion and at the same time clamp the unrecessed face of the body portion against such object, the balls then being retained in said channel by said radially extending iiange on the center member which partly overlies them, and the balls being of such size as to project out of at least one run of said channel when the bearing unit is thus attached to one of the objects so that they can make rolling contact with the surface of the other object.

THEODORE F. SCHLICKSUPP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 615,529 Cobb Dec. 6, 1898 640,397 Merker Jan. 2, 1900 696,388 Bosworth Mar. 25, 1902 1,918,108 Jonkhol July 11, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 23,704 Great Britain 1904 755,957 France 1933 429,976 Great Britain 1935 

